July 1911, Crescendo Magazine

AFTERNOON SESSION, APRlL 26,

Secretary; “It has been suggested that we add a new instrument to the mandolin orchestra to be called whatever we decide upon.”

Member; “What is it?”

Secretary; “The Mando-bass. I have been corresponding with Mr. Essex, of London, England, lately. Under date of April 18th, I received this letter from him”:

Secretary reads from letter.

“Dear Mr Odell; As the mando-bass is apparently going to be adopted, and music published for it in the U. S. A. and as apparently the matter will be discussed at the forthcoming convention, might I urge that if possible a uniform tuning should be adopted in the two countries, and a uniform clef. My firm has adopted, as you know the most general nomenclature of the instruments as used in your country, for the sole effect of making the music interchangeable between us, and it would be a  wise act on your part if you adopted the same principles as to the clef of the mando-bass, and preferably the same tuning, with a similar object in view.

We think that to publish in the treble clef for the mando-bass would be to cause considerable confusion in respect to the music of our country and yours, to say nothing of inviting the reproach of musicians who would naturally expect music for such an instrument to be written in the bass clef. The difficulty of reading this would be as’nothing compared with the advantages of such a course .

To make only one point, a player of a mando-bass could read and play the bass notes from a piano score in such orchestrations where a mando-bass part had not been already published. This would be difficult if he could only read from the treble clef.

The tuning we use is G. D. A. (3,2,1) which would enable any mandolin player to readily understand his instrument.

Now is the time to decide, and you publishers have to consider both the British and Colonial markets, where the bass clef already obtains for this instrument.

With every good wish for the success with your convention.

Yours very truly, Clifford Essex”.

Member; “As the Gibson firm has been the inventor of the. instrument in this country, would it not be in place if they had something to suggest themselves?

Mr. Laurain of the Gibson Co. ;”It is merely putting another voice in the mandolin orchestra. We experimented: there in making an instrument to take that voice. We do not seek to lay down any plan of playing the instrument, tuning the instrument,  stringing the instrument or anything of the kind. We have merely made the instrument to take the voice. That seems to be rather a hobby with us of following the voicing of the violin orchestra. The tuning of the instrument is not according to the English tuning, we go one string lower. We have G, D, A, E or to make it more understandable, it is the last four strings of the guitar. Guitar players would readily see what the fingering is or what the tuning will be. It will get a name without any question, but it is the bass voice and “Mando-Bass” seems to be the only name to convey the whole thing. It belongs to the mandolin family, therefore Mando-. It 1s the bass voice, therefore “Bass”. It is up to the Guild

to adopt a name. The manufacturer builds the instrument. The arranger arranges the music and the publisher tells you whether it shall be published or not. There will be a limited demand under any conditions as there are a limited number of instruments.

After a little considering, we have decided it would be more preferable and bring more results by putting the mando-bass into the treble clef. One might say he could learn the bass clef. We can learn Chinese, Japanese or any language if we want to plunge into historical works but we don’t want to do it. If anything is worth considering, it is put into our language for us. This instrument is not at the top of the heap yet. If we put it m the treble clef we may get someone willing

to learn the instrument. This  is the only suggestion I have to make in regard to the instrument.”

Secretary; “Mr. President; I move the following motion, The American Guild recommends that this new instrument of the mandolin family be called the ”Mando-bass.”

Motion seconded and unanimously carried.

Secretary; “Mr. President; I would like to ask for an informal standing vote to find out how many of the members present can or have played piano.”

Motion was put and about 60 per cent of the members present arose.

Member; “Mr. President; As I understand it you are trying to get the opinions of the members or have something decided about how this mando-bass should be written for, whether it should be written in the treble or bass clef. The plan adopted by -the English people seems to be the best, because the part that such an instrument would take would not require much skill, so

as I look at the matter, I think that the instrument should ~ written in the bass clef. If you propose tuning exactly like the double bass.in the orchestra it should undoubtedly be in the bass clef. One could take..ihe piano part and play the bass from it.”

Member; “Mr. President; I move that the American Guild recommend that the tuning of this instrument be the same as the orchestral double bass, E. A. D. G.”

Motion seconded.

Eno; “Just a moment, we take this as it is in the crude state. We do not know whether the fingerboard can be lengthened or not. So far, I think the present is. the one to stand by. We are pretty well satisfied with the present tone and scale so I don’t anticipate there will be any change.”

Member,. interrupting Mr. Eno. “Suppose you decide after this that you will get one out with five strings.”

Eno, continuing, “Just a moment–. We are going to make that instrument according to what the Guild decides and we do not know whether the instrument will have 3, 4, or 5 strings. The instrument undoubtedly is a bass instrument, tuned according to the bass and therefore should be in the bass clef. Let us start this thing right. We have a Company who has given us an instrument which we have not at present in the mandolin family. If we have made mistakes before, let us not leave them but go back and rectify them.

We are young yet. I think the instrument should be in the bass clef. l dare say there are not five ladies or gentlemen here who have not had questions put to them about which they have never thought but it opens up a desire to know more about it. Now let us get back to our instrument that compares favorably to the old instrument of the violin family for which you have an enormous library to draw from and you will never see the mandolin library equal it. Let us put. the new instrument down according to the methods given us by our forefathers in music. Let us not try to make something else out of it. We may change the finger board a little. lt may have six strings, etc., but I cannot see where that would necessarily make any difference in the clefs. I think the clef should be the bass clef. Starting from that one point I think we will do very well.”

Mr Williams; “With all due regard to what Mr. Eno said, I have not yet heard an argument for the bass clef. You are not learning anything new when you use the treble clef. You are learning something new when you learn the bass clef, not all, but many.”